Typically, people like to give the appearance they have it all figured out and know what they are doing. In my experience this is usually the case with adults as opposed to children. The idea that if children were taught the proper tools and explanations for their emotions could be an early learned habit that only grows and strengthens as they get older. Yes, SEL is just that – learning, and it is lifelong learning. However, if children were introduced to it at a young age it would not be seen as uncomfortable or overwhelming as they grew older and lived through challenging times in their lives. Brackett & Divecha (2020) state “The ultimate goal of the SEL field is to weave the teaching of social-emotional intelligence throughout children’s education so lives are enhanced and crises are rare”. This statement is beneficial to children and creates hope for their futures. It is distressing it will be a long process, but it is good this information is becoming more mainstream. I am interested to know more about SEL tools and guidelines to bring into my own practice. It was also very interesting when Brackett & Divecha (2020) stated “Or more fashionably, ‘I’ll be mindful’” when describing the responses from people when they asked what others use for strategies to support their emotions. Mindfulness has also been a mainstream coping mechanism for mainly adults in the last few years. There is a lot of information and guidance available to support one’s mindfulness and use it as a tool to destress. I was drawn to the idea of mindfulness and tried it repeatedly, but it is a difficult skill to master, and I found it was not helping me deal with the big emotions that happen with unpredictable or upsetting events in life. If you practice mindfulness, do you find it helpful with your emotional state, or is it for a specific time of your day to help clear your mind? I would like to build my SEL toolkit to support my mental health when emotions are running high and I feel overwhelmed. SEL strategies that include mindfulness could be a supportive combination to help destress. SEL could become a habit for life if the foundation is set in our early years. Supporting and guiding children in their SEL could create better futures for them, enhance their self reliance, and increase their self esteem when they are faced with challenges in life. Please see the below website link to explore a list websites or apps to support SEL for children, teachers, and families. https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/15-sitesapps-for-social-emotional-learning Thank you, Jill Smith References Brackett M. & Divecha, D. (2020, January 17). Sorry, There’s No Easy Toolkit for Social-Emotional Learning. But It’s Worth the Work. Education Week. [Website]. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-sorry-theres-no-easy-toolkit-for-social-emotional-learning-but-its-worth-the-work/2020/01?cmp=soc-edit-li Kapuler D. (2020, July 17). 15 Sites/Apps for Social-Emotional Learning. [Website]. Tech & Learning. https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/15-sitesapps-for-social-emotional-learning
